Facial recognition cameras help secure 105 arrests

Live facial recognition (LFR) camera usage has resulted in 105 arrests since its introduction a year ago, a police force said.

The system scans faces from a live camera feed and compares them in real time with a "watchlist" of high-risk individuals, including those wanted for criminal offences, an outstanding warrant or are subject to court-imposed requirements.

Bedfordshire Police said it had deployed LFR on more than 80 occasions across the county since it was introduced in September 2025.

It said the technology had generated 260 "alerts" leading to dozens of arrests, including a man wanted on suspicion of firearm possession and another suspected of child sexual offences.

LFR has been deployed in town centres as part of targeted days of action, and at major events including the Bedford River Festival and Luton Carnival.

When alerted to a potential match, officers are notified via secure devices to review the match and ascertain whether it is a true match.

Officers will then engage with the individual and conduct further assessments to confirm their identification before taking appropriate action.

Where no match is made against the "watchlist", the biometric data captured is deleted immediately.

To date, the technology has helped identify a number of "high-harm or managed offenders, habitual knife carriers and individuals subject to Domestic Violence Protection Orders", the force said.

Sgt Kim Coates, operational lead for LFR at Bedfordshire Police, said: "Having LFR in our town centres allows us to take a proactive approach to policing, helping us locate and apprehend those who cause the most harm while providing reassurance to the wider community.

"[It] is ultimately about protecting people. While it helps us identify individuals wanted by police, it can also assist in locating vulnerable or missing people, which can be particularly valuable in busy town centres and at large-scale public events."

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